She’s been married twice, and had a fair few high-profile relationships along the way – but in the past few years, Jennifer Aniston has clearly adhered to the old adage that, “The more men I meet, the more I like my dog.”
Nowadays, her social feed is filled with pictures of her three beloved pooches, who give the actress just as much love, attention and companionship as she gives them – and, according to insiders, she’s ready to devote even more time and energy to her furry friends.
We’re told the 55 year old – who’s just been nominated for an Emmy for her role on The Morning Show – is keen to dedicate a significant part of her working week to canine causes. That means adopting more pooches as well as fostering and volunteering with dog rescues. Plus, with her recently announced children’s book coming out in October – whose puppy protagonist Clydeo is inspired by her grey schnauzer mix Clyde – we’re told she’s just getting started. As far as she’s concerned, men may come and go, but her puppy pals are for life.
“Jen has always been devoted to her dogs,” says an insider close to the actress, who’s said to have got through the heartbreak of her and ex Brad Pitt’s divorce in 2005 with the help of her late dog Norman, and used to take her “baby boy” everywhere with her.
“She’s the first one to say they’re like family to her. But now she’s taking things to the next level and is getting super-involved with dog rescue. She’s not just donating money, she’s also donating her time and even fostering dogs while they wait for their forever homes. She has three animals of her own and, now that she’s fostering, it’s not unusual for her to have five or six running around at a time. She treats them the way that a lot of people treat their kids – it’s very sweet.”
At present, Jen’s fur family consists of Clyde, white pitbull Sophie – both of whom she adopted while still married to actor ex Justin Theroux – plus white Labrador mix Lord Chesterfield, who joined the gang in 2020.
All three regularly appear on their human mum’s Instagram feed, alongside tributes to her former four-legged babies, Norman, who died in 2011, and Dolly, who died in 2019. As well as having a tattoo of Norman’s name on her foot – she’s said, “So he still comes for walks with me” – Jen keeps a wind chime engraved with Dolly’s name in her Bel Air mansion.
As for welcoming a partner back into her life, we’re told the actress remains open to the possibility – but there’s one non-negotiable. Our source says, “Jen has a very deep connection with her dogs, so one thing’s for sure – any guy that wants a shot with her must love dogs.”